Finishing machine



March 31, 1964 w. c. BURT FINISHING MACHINE Filed Feb. 13, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 WILLIAM c. BURT A TTOPNEYS March 31, 1964 w, 3,, BURT FINISHINQ MACHIE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 13, 1963 INVENTOR.

WILLIAM G. BURT ATTORNEY-5 a um 3,126,674 FINISHING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet s March 31, 1964 Filed Feb. 13, 1963 6 3m mm mm W HF A! m: T M w Nor m 533E .l|| m m T. u N u .Y 49 1.. .l. A 3. w on: E

United States Patent 3,126,674 FINISHING MACHINE William C. Burt, Olean, N.Y., assignor to Clair Manufacturing Co., Inc., Olean, N.Y. Filed Feb. 13, 1963, Ser. No. 258,279 Claims. (Cl. 51-39) This invention relates to surface finishing machines, and more particularly to improvements in machines such as are especially adapted to grind, bore, clean, abrade, rough, delustre, brush, polish, glaze, buff or otherwise finish a sheet, plate, strip, coil or any other type stock pieces, as in the case of my copending US. patent application Serial No. 87,558 filed February 7, 1961, issued as Patent No. 3,087,282, dated April 30, 1963.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide improvements in machines of the character described above in which the mechanism is characterized by its compactness, simplicity and ruggedness of construction, while at the same time providing a machine which is particularly suited for efiicient and speedy operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide an proved machine of the character described which includes a fixed elevation butfing or polishing or other processing roll and, cooperable therewith, a vertically adjustable table mounting an endless workpiece carrying conveyor for effecting the feeding of stockpieces through the machine, and in which the vertically movable table is biased vertically by air cylinder means so that the processing roll engages the work under predetermined uniform pressure conditions.

Another object of the invention resides in provision of pinch roll means biased by spring devices to hold the workpieces down upon the conveyor in improved manner.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved processing roll mounting and driving arrangement whereby the machine is readily accessible for interchangeability and whereby the processing roll incorporates improved means for reciprocating the latter-and is compactly arranged and efficiently connected with the processing roll so as to achieve the desired results.

It is another object of the invention to provide a machine as aforesaid which is of improved versatility in that it can be readily arranged to finish a variety of thicknesses of strip or sheet stockpieces.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine as aforesaid which is adapted to operate with improved facility to finish flat stock sheets or strips from the leading edges to trailing edges thereof while avoiding undesirable pick-up of the workpieces by the processing roll and/ or scooting of the stockpieces through the machine.

Another object is to provide a machine as aforesaid which, without any reversing controls or like, constantly accepts and processes and automatically delivers back to the machine attendant the workpieces as fast as can be fed them to the machine.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the specification hereinafter.

By way of illustration of one example of the present invention, a machine embodying the features thereof is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the machine according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2, through a portion of the processing roll mounting means and illustrating the mechanism for effecting reciprocation thereof;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken along section line 4 tin FIG. 2 illustrating the pinch roll mounting means;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the plane of section line 55 in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged scale sectional view as indicated by section line 6-6 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to a portion of FIG. 2 but showing schematically a modified set-up arrangement of the workpiece support and pinch roll system;

FIGS. 8, 9 are fragmentary sections on enlarged scale taken on line 8-8 and 99, respectively, of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic view showing a portion of the electrical control circuit for the machine.

As shown in the drawing herewith, the machine may be constructed to include a base 10 supporting a pair of upright pedestals 12, 14, at its opposite sides. The pedestals 12, 14 mount paired bearing blocks 1515 and 1616, which blocks carry hollow horizontally disposed shafts 17, 18 (FIGS. 1, 3) for support of the processing roll 20 as will be explained hereinafter.

The shafts 17-18 are fixed against axial displacements in the bearing assemblies 1515. The shaft 17 carries at its inner end a flexible coupling face plate 24., and the opposite face plate 26 is keyed to the main spindle 28 which supports and drives the processing roll 20 by means of key pins or the like as indicated at 29. At its other end the spindle 28 carries a flexible coupling face plate 30, the opposite face plate 32 of which is carried by the stub shaft 18. A drive pulley as indicated at 34 is keyed to the shaft 18 for gearing connection as by means of V belts 36 to the machine drive motor pulley 38. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the parts are so dimensioned that the distance between the face plates carried by the spindle 28 is shorter than the space between the face plates 24, 32 whereby the processing roll may be axially reciprocated incidental to rotation thereof for producing a more smoothly finished product as explained for example in my earlier patent application Serial No. 87,558 (Patent No. 3,087,282).

This reciprocation is attained by means of a push-pull rod 40 which extends through the hollow stub shaft 18 and connects at one end by means of a pin 42 to the face plate and spindle 28 which drives the roll 26. At its other end the push-pull rod 40 extends into a cylinder 44 which is carried by and rotates with stub shaft 18; the cylinder 44 having disposed therein a piston 46 to which the rod 40 is fixedly connected. The cylinder 44 includes separate compressed air passageways 48, 49 which enter the cylinder through means of a rotary union 5i] and connect therethrough with corresponding conduits 52, 54 which in turn lead to a solenoid controlled valve as indicated at 55 (FIG. 10). The valve 55 may be of any four-way standard valve type adapted to deliver air under pressure either to the conduit 52 or the conduit 54, depending upon adjustment of the valve armature as by means of solenoids indicated at A, B. A similar control rod 56 is disposed to extend through the hollow stub shaft 17 and is connected at one end by means of a pin 57 to the roll spindle 28 so as to reciprocate axially therewith. At its other end the rod 56 is provided with an insulating ring 58 and with an electrical conducting ring 60 (FIG. 6) and this end portion of the rod 56 is rotatably mounted in axially slidable relation within a hearing block 62 into which extend paired electrical contact brushes as indicated at 64 66, respectively (FIGS. 3, 6, 10).

Thus, it will be appreciated that reciprocation of the roll 20 in axial direction will be accompanied by equal reciprocation of the conductor ring 60 relative to the contact brushes 64, 66, whereby as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 10, the conductor ring 60 will alternately interconnect the brushes 64, 64, or the brushes 66, 66; thereby alternately completing circuits to solenoid A and Er B, respectively. The solenoids A, B are oppositely directed to alternately displace the armature of the valve 55 in opposite directions, thereby causing the valve to deliver compressed air alternately through the conduits 52, 54 into the cylinder 44 at opposite ends of the piston 46 therein. Hence, the reciprocation control system functions automatically and without interference with the driving rotation of the roll 29. Processing roll changes are conveniently effected simply by first removing the pins 57, 42 and then moving the left hand bearing block unit to the left relative to the pedestal 12 as viewed in FIGS. 1, 3. This disconnects the assembly at the flexible coupling 24, 26, whereupon the processing roll spindle may be similarly displaced toward the left to free it from the coupling face plate 32. Replacement of another processing roll thereon is effected by simply reversing the procedure.

The workpiece support and drive mechanism comprises essentially a table over which trains the upper strand of an endless conveyor belt which slides upon the top surface of the table and which in turn carries the workpieces to pass under the processing roll 20. As shown herein the table structure may be fabricated to comprise a top plate 70 supported by tubular sectioned sub-frame members '72 (FIG. 4). t one end the table frame structure includes brackets 74 (FIG. 2) at opposite sides of the table and mounting the conveyor drive pulley shaft as indicated at '76. At the opposite end of the table and at opposite sides thereof screw thread adjustable arms 73 are provided to extend from the table structure to mount the conveyor idler pulley shaft 79. The conveyor belt is illustrated at St) and the conveyor drive is shown to be provided by means of a belt and pulley system 82, 83 geared to an electric motor 84.

The table structure is vertically supported by means of a centrally located pneumatic piston-cylinder unit as indicated generally at 91) (FIGS. 1, 2). The bottom end of the cylinder 99 is fitted with a downwardly extending screw threaded post 92 which is engaged by a nut-bearing 94 mounted on the base portion 11) of the machine. The threaded nut is driven by means of a worm gear carried by a hand wheel shaft 96 (FIG. 2) whereby it will be appreciated that manual rotation of the hand wheel 96 will cause the post 92 to raise or lower. The piston rod portion 97 of the unit (FIG. 1) extends upwardly into supporting connection with a cross bar 98 which is fixed at its opposite ends to the side rails 72, as by means of angles 99. Thus, it will be appreciated that operation of the piston relative to the cylinder 90 will either raise or lower the conveyor table; the vertical position of the cylinder as adjusted manually by the hand wheel 96 determining the datum for the piston-cylinder operation. The table is stabilized throughout the range of its vertical adjustment by means of a pair of vertically standing telescopic bearing units 1l01i0 located at opposite sides of the table structure.

Thus it will be appreciated that a workpiece such as indicated at 161 (FIGS. 1, 2, 4) may be placed upon the top strand of the conveyor belt 80 whereby it will be driven to pass under the roll 20, either in the manner of a single pass or repeated straight line passes, or reciprocally back and forth under the process roll, as may be preferred. Depending upon the thickness of the workpiece to be processed, the spindle will first be vertically adjusted by means of the hand wheel 96 to such a position that when compressed air is delivered to the cylinder (under control of treadle valve 91) the piston thereof will extend the table upwardly so as to press the workpiece against the process roll with the desired degree of pressure. Thus, although the table will be mechanically adjusted vertically in the first place to different workpiece thickness, in all cases after the initial adjustment the working pressure against the processing roll will be determined and maintained by the air pressure within the cylinder 90. Inasmuch as this is of a resilient nature a substantially uniform pressure will be exerted between the processing roll and the workpiece throughout the entire extent of the operation.

The machine of the invention also features an improved workpiece hold-down mechanism shown herein to comprise a pair of pinch rolls designated 104, 106 carried on corresponding idler spindles 107, 1%. The spindles 107, 108 are journaled at their opposite ends within spherical bearing blocks as indicated at 110 (FIG. 4); the bearing blocks 110 being carried within the upper ends of corresponding struts 112. The struts 112 are telescopically carried within sleeves 114 and include shoulder portions 116 which are biased in each case toward bottomed position in the sleeve 114 as by means of a compression spring 118, the tension of which is readily adjustable as by means of a lock nut system 119. As shown in FIGS. 4, 5 the sleeves 114 slidably extend vertically through support blocks 120 which are in turn welded or otherwise fixed to stirrup plates 122 carried by the side rail portions of the conveyor table frame.

Thus the support blocks 120 are carried directly by the table frame, and the sleeves 114 are vertically slidable within the blocks 120. As shown in FIG. 5 locking devices are provided for fixing the sleeves 114 in any desired positions of vertical adjustment relative to the blocks 120. As shown herein the locking devices may consist of shoes 124 and machine screws 126 which when tightened will hold the shoes 124 against the sleeves 114 in frictional engagement therewith so as to lock the sleeves against any movement relative to the blocks 120. Thus it will be appreciated that to suit the pinch rolls to accommodate workpieces of different thicknesses, the screws 126 will be loosened and the sleeves 114 vertically adjusted relative to the blocks 120. The screws 126 will then be tightened, and the springs 118 will then supply the requisite resilient pressure forces for holding the workpiece firmly down against the conveyor belt 8% as the latter transports the workpiece through the machine. This not only insures perfect frictional contact between the workpiece and the conveyor belt 80 for smooth and uniform finishing of the workpiece, but it also insures against any accidental scooting of the workpiece through the machine under the impetus of the processing roll, such as might otherwise occur.

FIGS. 7, 8, 9 illustrate a modified set-up arrangement of the machine wherein a platen as indicated at 130 is mounted upon the table structure directly under the processing roll 20. In this case the platen 130 is disposed above the top strand of the conveyor belt 81), and the pinch rolls 104166 now ride directly on the conveyor belt 80, and are thereby frictionally driven to rotate there with. The platen 130 is vertically dimensioned so that its top surface is substantially level with the top levels of the rollers 104106; and thus workpieces as indicated at 132 may now be fed to the processing roller through the gap between the roller and the platen. Shims as indicated at 133 (FIG. 9) are used to vertically adjust the platen to proper distance from the processing roll, according to the thickness of the workpieces to be proc essed. As indicated at 134, 136 a second set of idler rolls are provided immediately above the rolls 104, 106, respectively, and the upper rolls 134, 136 are spring-biased downwardly so as to hold the workpiece in snug driving relationship with the rolls 104, 106, by means of spring arrangements as in the case illustrated at FIG. 4. Thus it will be appreciated that in the case of the machine arrangement of FIGS. 79 workpieces may be fed through the gaps between the paired pinch rollers and between the platen 130 and the processing roll 20, and that the pinch rolls will cooperate to transport the workpiece through the machine as it is processed by the roll 29. The platen may be water-cooled if desired.

It is a particular feature of the machine of the invention that worksheets may be fed into the machine in the direction shown in FIG. 7 whereupon they will be pulled through the processing gap by the pinch roller system; and then when they drop down from the pinch roll 104 at the rear of the machine upon the belt 80 they are immediately picked up automatically by the belt and shunted in reverse direction under the platen and back to the machine attendant. The operator may then either refeed the worksheet (where multiple passes are required) or simply unload it while alternating each unloading operation with a fresh sheet loading operation. Thus, without any reversing of the belt or other attention by the operator the machine constantly accepts and processes and delivers back to the operator the workpieces as fast as they can be fed to the machine.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, the pneumatic jack 90 is operator-controlled, as by means of a treadle valve 91; the valve and compressed air supply system being arranged so that whenever the operator steps on the treadle the jack 90 elevates the table so that the workpiece can come into bearing contact with the processing roll. Thus, it is the resilient air pressure force exerted by the jack 90 that operates to maintain the workpiece in uniformly pressured relation against the processing roll as the conveyor transports the workpiece relative thereto. Upon completion of a processing operation the operator steps off the control pedal and the table thereupon lowers to a position substantially spaced below the processing roll, thus avoiding undesirable wearing contacts between the processing roll and the empty conveyor belt.

It will of course be appreciated that although only one form of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail hereinabove, it will be understood that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. Finishing apparatus comprising essentially a base, a pair of laterally spaced uprights fixed to said base, bearing blocks carried by said uprights, a rotatable stub shaft carried by and journalled in each of said bearing blocks, a work shaft disposed in axial alignment between said stub shafts and mounting a processing roll, flexible coupling means providing axial lost motion interconnecting the opposite ends of said work shaft to said stub shafts, a workpiece support table disposed between said uprights, pneumatic piston-cylinder means providing vertical support for said table and operable to vertically bias and displace the latter, guide means operable to guide and stabilize said table in horizontal attitude while moving vertically, an endless conveyor belt carried by said table and having the upper strand of said belt resting upon and sliding over the top surface of said table, power means driving said processing roll and said conveyor belt whereby a workpiece may be disposed upon said conveyor belt to be carried thereby in bearing relation against said processing roll, workpiece hold-down means comprising idler rollers disposed above said conveyor belt transversely thereof at opposite sides of said processing roll, bearing strut means engaging the opposite ends of said idler rolls and operable to bias them downwardly in firm riding relation against a workpiece when riding on said conveyor, strut means each including spring means resiliently operable to maintain a substantially uniform prescribed hold-down pressure on the associated roll, and means providing axial reciprocating movements of said finishing roll relative to said table, said means including a piston coupled to a push-pull rod which extends through one of said stub shafts into operative connection with said work shaft, a cylinder enclosing said piston and axially fixed relative to the machine, a valve controlling alternate applications of fluid pressure in said cylinder at opposite ends of said piston, and automatic reciprocation control means actuated by alternative reciprocative movements of said finishing roll so as to adjust said valve so as to cause said processing roll to axially reciprocate While in workpiece contacting position.

2. Finishing apparatus comprising essentially a base, bearing blocks carried by said base, a rotatable stub shaft carried by and journalled in each of said bearing blocks, a work shaft disposed in axial alignment between said stub shafts and mounting a processing roll, flexible coupling means providing axial lost motion interconnecting the opposite ends of said work shaft to said stub shafts, a workpiece support table disposed under said processing roll, pneumatic jack means providing vertical support for said table and operable to vertically bias and displace the latter, a conveyor carried by said table and resting upon and sliding over the top surface of said table, power means driving said processing roll and said conveyor whereby a workpiece may be disposed upon said conveyor to be carried thereby in bearing relation against said processing roll, workpiece hold-down means comprising idler rollers disposed above said conveyor transversely thereof at opposite sides of said processing roll, bearing strut means engaging the opposite ends of said idler rolls and operable to bias them downwardly in firm riding relation against a workpiece when riding on said conveyor, said strut means each including spring means resiliently operable to maintain a substantially uniform prescribed hold-down pressure on the associated roll, and means providing axial reciprocating movements of said finishing roll relative to said table, said means including a piston coupled to a push-pull rod which extends through one of said stub shafts into operative connection with said work shaft, a cylinder enclosing said piston and axially fixed relative to the machine, a valve controlling alternate applications of fluid pressure in said cylinder at opposite ends of said piston, and automatic reciprocation control means actuated by alternative reciprocative movements of said finishing roll so as to actuate said valve so as to cause said processing roll to axially reciprocate while in workpiece contacting position.

3. Finishing apparatus comprising essentially a base, bearing blocks carried by said base, a rotatable stub shaft carried by and journalled in each of said bearing blocks, a work shaft disposed in axial alignment between said stub shafts and mounting a processing roll, flexible coupling means providing axial lost motion interconnecting the opposite ends of said work shaft to said stub shafts, a workpiece support table disposed under said processing roll, pneumatic piston-cylinder means providing vertical support for said table and operable to vertically bias and displace the latter, an endless conveyor carried by said table, power means driving said processing roll and said conveyor whereby a workpiece may be disposed upon said conveyor to be carried thereby in bearing relation against said processing roll, workpiece hold-down means comprising idler rollers disposed above said conveyor belt transversely thereof and operable to bear down against a workpiece when riding on said conveyor, and means providing axial reciprocating movements of said finishing roll relative to said table, said means including a piston coupled to a push-pull rod which extends through one of said stub shafts into operative connection with said Work shaft, a cylinder enclosing said piston and axially fixed relative to the machine, a valve controlling alternate applications of fluid pressure in said cylinder at opposite ends of said piston, and a valve control device actuated by a strut member connected at one end to said Work shaft and extending through the other of said stub shafts and being thereby displaced axially coincidentally with alternative reciprocative movements of said finishing roll so as to operate said valve so as to cause said processing roll to axially reciprocate while in workpiece contacting position.

4. Finishing apparatus comprising essentially a base, bearing blocks carried by said base and mounting a processing roll, a workpiece support table disposed beneath said roll, pneumatic piston-cylinder means providing vertical support for said table and operable to vertically bias and displace the latter, guide means operable to glide and stabilize said table in horizontal attitude while moving vertically, an endless conveyor belt carried by said table and having the upper strand of said belt resting upon and sliding over the top surface of said table, power eans driving said processing roll and said conveyor belt whereby a workpiece may be disposed upon said conveyor belt to be carried thereby in bearing relation against said processing roll, workpiece hold-down means including an idler roller disposed above said conveyor belt transversely thereof, spring means resiliently operable to maintain a substantially uniform prescribed hold-down pressure on said roller, and means providing axial reciprocating movements of said finishing roll relative to said table.

5. Finishing apparatus comprising essentially a base, a pair of laterally spaced uprights fixed to said base, bearing blocks carried by said uprights, a rotatable stub shaft carried by and journalled in each of said bearing blocks, a work shaft disposed in axial alignment between said stub shafts and mounting a processing roll, flexible coupling means providing axial lost motion interconnecting the opposite ends of said work shaft to said stub shafts, a workpiece support table disposed between said uprights, pneumatic piston-cylinder means providing vertical support for said table and operable to vertically bias and displace the latter, an endless conveyor belt carried by said table and having the upper strand of said belt resting upon and sliding over the top surface of said table, power means driving said processing roll and said conveyor beit whereby a workpiece may be disposed upon said conveyor belt to be carried thereby in bearing relation against said processing roll, workpiece hold-down means including an idler roller disposed above said conveyor belt transversely thereof, spring means resiliently operable to maintain a substantially uniform prescribed hold-down pressure on said roller, and means providing axial reciprocating movements of said finishing roll relative to said table.

6. Finishing apparatus comprising a base, a work shaft rotatably carried upon said base and mounting a processing roll, a workpiece support table disposed beneath said roll, pneumatic piston-cylinder means providing vertical support for said table and operable to vertically bias and displace the latter, guide means operable to guide and stabilize said table in horizontal attitude while moving vertically, an endless conveyor having a portion resting upon and sliding over the top surface of said table, power means driving said processing roll and said conveyor whereby a workpiece may be disposed upon said conveyor to be carried thereby in bearing relation against said processing roll, workpiece hold-down means including an idler roller disposed above said conveyor transversely thereof and spring means resiliently operable to maintain a substantially uniform prescribed hold-down pressure on said roller.

7. Finishing apparatus comprising essentially a base, bearing blocks carried by said base and mounting a processing roll, a workpiece support table disposed beneath said roll, an endless conveyor belt carried by said table and having the upper strand of said belt resting upon and sliding over the top surface of said table, a platen supported by said table in spaced relation above the top strand of said conveyor belt directly under said processing roll, idler rollers disposed in friction bearing relation with said conveyor belt transversely thereof at positions ahead of and behind said platen and being driven to rotate by said conveyor belt, power means driving said processing roll and said conveyor belt and thereby indirectly driving said idler rollers, whereby a workpiece may be disposed upon the forward of said idler rollers to be carried thereby into the gap between said platen and said processing roll in bearing relation against said processing roll, workpiece hold-down means including a roller disposed above one of said idler rollers, spring means resiliently operable to maintain a substantially uniform prescribed hold-down pressure on said roller, and means providing axial reciprocating movements of said finishing roll relative to said platen.

8. Finishing apparatus comprising a base, a work shaft rotatably carried upon said base and mounting a processing roll, a workpiece support table disposed beneath said roll, pneumatic piston-cylinder means providing vertical support for said table and operable to vertically bias and displace the latter, guide means operable to guide and stabilize said table in horizontal attitude while moving vertically, an endless conveyor belt having a portion resting upon and sliding over the top surface of said table, a platen supported by said table in spaced relation above the top strand of said conveyor belt directly under said processing roll, idler rollers disposed in friction bearing relation with said conveyor belt transversely thereof at positions ahead of and behind said platen and being driven to rotate by said conveyor belt, power means driving said processing roll and said conveyor and thereby indirectly driving said idler rollers, whereby a workpiece may be disposed upon the forward of said idler rollers to be carried thereby in bearing relation against said processing roll, and workpiece hold-down means including a roller disposed above one of said idler rollers and spring means resiliently operable to maintain a substantially uniform prescribed hold-down pressure on said roller.

9. Finishing apparatus comprising a base, a work shaft rotatably carried upon said base and mounting a processing roll, a workpiece support table disposed beneath said roll, pneumatic piston-cylinder means providing vertical support for said table and operable to vertically bias and displace the latter, guide means operable to guide and stabilize said table in horizontal attitude while moving vertically, an endless conveyor belt having a portion resting upon and sliding over the top surface of said table, a platen supported by said table in spaced relation above the top strand of said conveyor belt directly under said processing roll, idler rollers disposed in friction bearing relation with said conveyor belt transversely thereof at positions ahead of and behind said platen and being driven to rotate by said conveyor belt, and pOWer means driving said processing roll and said conveyor and thereby indirectly driving said idler rollers, whereby a workpiece may be disposed upon the forward of said idler rollers to be carried thereby in bearing relation against said processing roll.

10. Finishing apparatus comprising essentially a base, bearing blocks carried by said base and mounting a processing roll, a workpiece support table disposed beneath said roll, an endless conveyor belt carried by said table and having the upper strand of said belt resting upon and sliding over the top surface of said table, a platen supported by said table in spaced relation above the top strand of said conveyor belt directly under said processing roll, idler rollers disposed in friction bearing relation with said conveyor belt transversely thereof at positions ahead of and behind said platen and being driven to rotate by said conveyor belt, power means driving said processing roll and said conveyor belt and thereby indirectly driving said idler rollers, whereby a workpiece may be disposed upon the forward of said idler rollers to be carried thereby into the gap between said platen and said processing roll in bearing relation against said processing roll, and means providing axial reciprocating movements of said finishing roll relative to said platen.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,988,577 Scrimgeour Jan. 22, 1935 1,998,770 Shulte Apr. 23, 1935 2,056,542 Spry Oct. 6, 1936 2,876,600 Pendergast Mar. 10, 1959 2,929,173 Bergeron Mar. 22, 1960 

6. FINISHING APPARATUS COMPRISING A BASE, A WORK SHAFT ROTATABLY CARRIED UPON SAID BASE AND MOUNTING A PROCESSING ROLL, A WORKPIECE SUPPORT TABLE DISPOSED BENEATH SAID ROLL, PNEUMATIC PISTON-CYLINDER MEANS PROVIDING VERTICAL SUPPORT FOR SAID TABLE AND OPERABLE TO VERTICALLY BIAS AND DISPLACE THE LATTER, GUIDE MEANS OPERABLE TO GUIDE AND STABILIZE SAID TABLE IN HORIZONTAL ATTITUDE WHILE MOVING VERTICALLY, AN ENDLESS CONVEYOR HAVING A PORTION RESTING UPON AND SLIDING OVER THE TOP SURFACE OF SAID TABLE, POWER MEANS DRIVING SAID PROCESSING ROLL AND SAID CONVEYOR WHEREBY A WORKPIECE MAY BE DISPOSED UPON SAID CONVEYOR TO BE CARRIED THEREBY IN BEARING RELATION AGAINST SAID PROCESSING ROLL, WORKPIECE HOLD-DOWN MEANS INCLUDING AN IDLER ROLLER DISPOSED ABOVE SAID CONVEYOR TRANSVERSELY THEREOF AND SPRING MEANS RESILIENTLY OPERABLE TO MAINTAIN A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM PRESCRIBED HOLD-DOWN PRESSURE ON SAID ROLLER. 